Another Purgatory Question!

[justasking4]

Dear Just asking - The children of Fatima did not see a vision of Purgatory - they actually saw the Hell of the damned! It was this vision that terrified them and caused them to pray all the more earnestly for poor sinners. Many of us repeat their prayer when we pray a Rosary…“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need…” There is no end to Hell nor is there a “second chance” as is with Purgatory. Justice is served by Hell - Mercy is served by Purgatory. Choice is the key.

I don’t know which site you visited to seek information about Fatima. I’m sad to say there are some that aren’t worth the visit as they distort and mis-use Fatima for ends not worthy of honor. Here are two sites I think are good - crystalinks.com/fatima.html and of course EWTN’s ewtn.com/Fatima/

I hope you view them with an open mind and more importantly and open heart. Your Mother waits as does God…Listen to Him!

Peace,

Gail

What do you think of this promise of St. Gertrude the Great in which when it is prayed releases 1000 souls from purgatory.

PRAYER TO FREE 1000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY: PROMISE PRAYER

A Prayer Which Would Release 1,000 Souls From Purgatory
Each Time It Is Said:

Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great that the following prayer would release 1,000
Souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was later extended to include
living sinners as well.

“ETERNAL FATHER, I OFFER THEE THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THY DIVINE SON,
JESUS, IN UNION WITH THE MASSES SAID THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TODAY, FOR ALL THE
HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

APPROVAL AND RECOMMENDATION: M. Cardinal Pahiarca at Lisbon, Portugal, March 4, 1936

It seems to me that if a thousand Catholics prayed this prayer for an hour a day all souls in purgatory would be released. Does the church promote this?

 

[guanophore]

So you really don’t know where i can find this? I thought as much.

No, I really don’t think that Purgatory is something to get hung up on during inquiry. I think there is a much greater need to lay a firm foundation of the elementals. Purgatory is, like the Marian doctrines, an offshoot of more basic concepts about salvation, and the nature of Christ. If one does not grasp the basic Teachings, then the offshoots will not make any sense. It is like trying to understand corollaries in geometry without basic geometric concepts. Since the corollary builds on the basic concept, trying to understand it from the corollary is a more difficult route to go. I am not saying it can’t be done, just that there are better ways.

You have stated that you reject the basic statement of faith in the Creed about the communion of saints. Since the ideas we have about Purgatory cannot be separated from the communion of saints, then it doesn’t seem to make sense to go any further. In addition, the communion of saints is based on the Apostolic Teaching of what the Church is. You have not yet mastered that concept, from which Purgatory is an offshoot. Those in Purgatory are considered “the Church suffering”. Yet your concept of “church” is so skewed and narrow that it cannot contain this idea.

 

[GailMac]

Dear Justasking - You asked about St. Gertrude’s prayer for souls in Purgatory. Funny you mentioned it. I used to pray it alot. I’m no saint so I don’t know how many souls benefit from my praying it, or if any do in fact, but I used it quite abit as I was moved with pity for the poor souls in Purgatory. I still pray for them and love them, but haven’t used Saint Gertrude’s prayer in a while. (Maybe God is nudging me through you huh? Wouldn’t that be a hoot?) My understanding is that Saint Gertrude had a unique moment in time when her prayers became that efficacious. It got recorded and examined by the Church and the prayer she used was approved for use by others. I don’t expect my prayers to have that big an effect, but I do keep praying.

You also asked about the Brown Scapular of our Lady of Mount Carmel. I wear one, but it alone won’t keep me from suffering eternal fire if I live my life in sin. It doesn’t guarantee Heaven if you sin mortally and die unrepentant of same. No one or nothing could do that. As for me personally I am fond of Carmelite spirituality and feel a closeness to Carmel in wearing my Scapular. It is a little tiny bit of sanctity for me. No one gave me one and said “Here - wear this and you’ll get to Heaven for free!” like a monopoly get out of jail card or something. I picked one up at a Shrine shop one day shortly after coming into the Church and asked about it. (I too had a million and one questions when I came into the Church, trust me!) Then I did a little research on my own and it felt natural to put it on because I was so drawn to Carmelite stuff. Each night before I close my eyes I kiss mine and thank my Mother for her help for me that day. It has a meaning to me that has grown through the years. I felt like I was accepting the gentle yoke of Christ when I put it on. I don’t know if that answers your question, but that’s just from me. You could research the Carmelites and read some of their stuff. St. John of the Cross is awesome, so is Teresa of Avila. If you research the Scapular, you will find in the many apparitions of our Lady that the Carmelite habit is the only religious habit she was ever seen wearing. Cool or what?

Peace,

Gail